Since IFOAM is uniquely positioned to lead organic agriculture, our relationship with the FAO is a prominent aspect of IFOAM's presence and revolves around both cooperation and lobbying for improvements to international agricultural policy. Interaction of these two key players in the worldwide context for food production is aided by the location of the FAO Liaison office in Rome.
Four Regional Groups based in Asia, the Mediterranean (AgriBio Mediterraneo), Latin America, and the EU as a whole plus two national groups in Japan and France function to respond to, and mold organic agriculture at the regional level. These groups are self-organized and operate autonomously on the particular tasks of research, standards and certification development, and capacity building through the provision of services such as training.